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valchemist
03-22-2002, 03:19 PM
Thought I would share this yummy recipe by Mollie Katzen.

It is really easy and soooo yummy. I used fat free cottage cheese, chives, and I omitted the lemon. It is good at room temperature but sooo much better hot. The heat does something to the flavor and texture -- somehow the whole dish becomes creamier, cheesier, and more tasty as the flavors meld together. (after I made it, I just zapped it in the microwave.)

Val


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cozy Orzo

When I was a child, one of my favorite comfort foods was a dish my mother called noodles and cheese. Although it was just some plain pasta mixed with cottage cheese and a little sour cream, it had a magical calming effect on me. I make a slightly more adult version now, which is a little fancier, but equally comforting.


Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta Side Dish
Side Dishes Vegetarian


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound cottage cheese -- room-temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup minced chives or scallions
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Black pepper -- to taste
1/2 pound orzo
1 cup frozen peas
Grated pecorino or parmesan cheese for
the top

Combine the cottage cheese, salt, chives or scallions, lemon zest, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well.

Cook the orzo in plenty of rapily boiling water until it is tender. Place the peas in a colander in the sink, and drain the pasta right into the peas. (This will defrost the peas and cook them slightly). Shake off the excess water, transfer the orzo and peas to the cottage cheese mixture, and stir gently. Sprinkle with grated pecorino or parmesan, and serve warm or at room temperature, in bowls.

Yield: 4 to 5 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Source:
"Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"
Ratings : Difficulty 1 Taste 9

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 342 Calories; 3g Fat (8.6% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 1039mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat.

Peeps
03-22-2002, 03:25 PM
I made this way back I think when it was first posted - and I'd totally forgotten about it! Thanks for the reminder - I need to make this again and I know I have leftover orzo from the first time!

Wendy w
03-22-2002, 03:28 PM
I have the book, have eyed the recipe, will now have to try it.

kwormann
03-22-2002, 06:09 PM
IMHO...ANYTHING my Mollie is great:)

mightyh
03-26-2002, 09:46 AM
Thanks for posting this recipe... We got home from vacation Sunday night and had no food in the house Monday and I didn't feel much like cooking something time-consuming even once I had been to the grocery.

I made this recipe for dinner (with a different shape pasta, as the grocery was out of orzo) using scallions and the lemon zest and thought it was very good. Definitely comfort food, but spring-y comfort food and so easy to make.

I'll try the left overs for lunch today and see how they reheat.

Melina
03-27-2002, 02:01 AM
Hi Val,
When I was growing up, we used to have this almost every Friday because we were not allowed to eat meat. We used ricotta instead of the cottage cheese, used a larger pasta shape than the orzo, and like you, we omitted the lemon. It's still a very popular dish among Italians. Although personally, I think I'm going to wait about another ten or eleven years before I have it again. Every Friday for about twenty years was enough to carry me at least to the year 2012.
Melina

valchemist
03-27-2002, 02:32 AM
melina

well, since I missed out on it for the first 32 years of my life, I have some catching up to do. I think I would be happy to have this dish on a regular basis. But I can see why you got bored with it after having it every week for 20 years!.

val

Melina
03-27-2002, 02:44 AM
Sure, that's what you say now, but come around when your fifty two..........................
Melina

Tiger
04-06-2002, 10:55 AM
I made this today for lunch. I didn't realize until I started to make it that my cottage cheese had pineapples in it. Aggh! I made it anyway and it was really good. (It would have been better without the pineapple taste!)
Thanks Val for the recipe. It's the perfect kind of recipe I've been looking for. Healthy, I can eat for lunch, have leftovers for more lunches, and something my DH would refuse to eat but I want to try!

Terrytx
04-06-2002, 11:05 AM
I made this this past week and added about 2 tsp. Fox Point Seasoning and we loved it!

valchemist
04-06-2002, 11:53 AM
glad you liked it Terry and Patty. thanks for pulling this back to the top. I am craving it now and will make it again this week...

Introducing...Pineapple Cozy Orzo, by Ms. Patty Tiger. LOL. I laughed at that one, Patty!

Jeanne G
04-09-2002, 07:55 PM
Fellow BB folks, due to your posts I just tried this tonight.

I did use the lemon zest and I added grape tomatoes(I can't resist to add tomatoes to a mac n cheese type of dish, I think that's the BEST!). I was a little bit disappointed that the cottage cheese didn't melt. So, I will be unable to pass this off to BF as a wonderful dish, b/c he thinks he doesn't like cottage cheese! (Unfortunately, he doesn't really know that he has enjoyed it!! :D ) Anyhow, I guess I was hoping for it to combine into a "sauce" or at least melt down like mac n cheese. But, the taste is the most important! It is very tasty!

Thanks for sharing,
Jeanne

valchemist
04-10-2002, 01:09 AM
the cottage cheese will melt (at least mine did) if, after mixing everything together, you put it in the microwave. I have found that the dish is best this way.

val

Jeanne G
04-10-2002, 01:59 AM
Val the Chemist (and Julia's mommy!),
Thanks for the tip. I was hoping it would melt down while nuking it at a low temp for a little while. I hope it works!!! Thanks again for sharing. I have one of Molly's cookbooks, but don't think I've made anything out of it. Shame on me! :) I have so many books and magazines, plus this board and food tv & epicurious, etc. I'm cracking up! I feel like I need to give birth to about 5-10 kids who love to experiment with food before I can make and try all I want. Unfortunatley DBF and many friends aren't quite enough to satisfy my craving to cook, experiment, etc!

valchemist
04-10-2002, 03:53 AM
too bad the bunnies can't help you out!

Jeanne G
04-10-2002, 08:17 AM
Originally posted by valchemist
too bad the bunnies can't help you out!

No kidding! ;) I'll have to wait for harvesting time so bun can eat what I GROW, not what I COOK !!!